A number of years ago, "The company" started having a Halloween party for the employees and their families. At the time there were 20 employees. Every year it just about doubled in size. There are now several hundred employees. The kids get to trick-or-treat to all of the offices and cube farms that want them. Everything everywhere is decorated. Then they troop to the other wing and get dinner, games, and a magic show in the Activities room. We also turn 2 of the conference rooms in that wing into haunted houses. 1 a little kid scary, the other big kid scary. These are little kids so it's Mr. Toad's wild ride scary - not Alien scary. We don't want anyone in years of therapy! Last year was the haunted pirate ship and the zombie island where she was forever moored... "The company" has also been recently been bought by a conglomorate. They will be shutting this office when the lease is up and moving everyone to a building they own. This means the last "company" Halloween party. - Probably the last Halloween party period.
So we want to go out with a bang. But I need a few more ideas. Luckily, Alz has provided me with a room of requirement, right here, by hosting TFH.

What I've got so far:
Children get a 'portkey' in the lobby. They are sent into the elevator so the Muggles can't see them disapperate.

The elevator doors open in 'London.' (OK, I can dream can't I?)

A right turn down the 'street' takes them to the "Leaky Cauldron" (company Lobby, which oddly enough actually looks like a bar...)

through the brick wall to Diagon Alley (Development)
They trick-or-treat through the various 'shops'.

At Gringott's (the CFO's office) they take a wrong turn down Knockturn Alley (Support) They trick or treat here too, being careful to avoid "Borgin and Burkes" (VP of new product development - the darkest magic!)

This will eventually spit them out in King's cross station (building hallway with the public bathrooms) Through the barrier at the end to platform 9 3/4 "hogwarts Express" is going to be on the glass of some empty office space.

By the time they walk to the other end of the train they are at Hogwarts. (Sales)
The Activities room is being turned into the great hall enchanted star-lit ceiling and floating candles. (A lot of plastic and black thread) and Gryffindor colors.
1 conference room is likely going to become the potions classroom. (We did Mad Scientist a few years back - so I can recycle a lot of stuff there!)

The other - I'm stuck and need ideas.

I also need ideas for games.
I thought we *might* (said with a wince) be able to do quidditch 'pre-qualifying' tryouts with 'nerf' balls throw it through a hoop for chasers, hit it with a plastic bat for beaters, catch it for seekers and keepers. But there are SOOO many kids now, I'm afraid - very afraid....

1 conference room is about 20x15 you enter one corner exit the opposite side.

the other conference room is about 25x12 with only 1 door.
What we've done the last couple of years is built a small atrium then split the room length-wise floor to ceiling so the kids walk in and down one side and cross through and back up and out the other - a big U.

And so I need ideas. I need IDEAS. I NEED ideas!

Also - How do I decorate 'London' ?????!

__________________"If you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you."Friedrich Nietzsche

http://www.balloon-specialties.com/d...119_spider.htm The
Forbidden Forrest in one room might not be too hard to do really, if you can somehow fit it in, the Elevator as a portkey is fantastic though, and since you are going with the Diagon Alley theme, you may not be able to do a forbidden forrest.

You have to have a "Divination" classroom . . . someone dressed up like Trelawney looking into a fake crystal ball and giving out hillarious predictions to those who come up to her. (good idea would be to limit the number of "students" to 6 or 7 at a time so Prof. Trelawney can reuse some predictions!)

__________________Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.His memory will live on . . .

There is no place I know to compare with pure imagination; living there you'll be free, if you truly wish to be. _Willy Wonka

the Marketing wing is usually off-limits during the party, so that's a natural for the forbidden forest. We also have a giant inflatable spider from years past - He's about 3 to 4 foot round. He's a bit on the comical side, but with a little work could probably be a lot more menacing. We also have tons of glow-in-the-dark webbing. There is also a blow-up Frankenstein - I think 7 ft tall - but I'd have to dig him out of storage to be sure. Maybe I could turn him into Grawp? Think I can leave him green? Just slap a "Hello, my name is Grawp" sticker on his chest?

__________________"If you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you."Friedrich Nietzsche

Abolutely not. It would be like cold runny pumpkin soup, I always imagined.

It's actually the only food they have which doesn't make me extremely hungry everytime I read about it. I got my mum to make a chicken and ham pie once. But I long for treacle tart. (Have you ever noticed the way the treacle tart is introduced? It just slips in there, until one day, JK pronounces it 'Harry's favourite...' It's just a small touch, but it makes the world and his life at Hogwarts seem that bit more real... anyway (ahem) Hallowe'en decorations...

Oh a professor Threlawny is a wonderful idea, don't think I would let them throw nerf balls around, you could have like a snitch hunt though (instead of Easter Eggs) with a Prize Snitch. And even a race where they transfer snitches with spoons. It would be great if you could do a Horcrux hunt with the Snitches, but I doubt if smaller children are going to know what has gone on in the later books though. A pitch the snitch into a caldron contest might work also.

You could have broom races too, kind of borrow from the 3 legged race theory, and put two to a broom to make it more complicated (and SLOWER). A long hall would be best for this.

Pin the tail on Dudley.... lol

The food ideas are great too, be very afraid of colored beverages with children if there is carpeting though....

Maybe a tape of Moaning Myrtle in a restroom....

Instead of candy on Halloween, I give glow things, rings, and bracelets and glow sticks, and sometimes other toys. I am careful to not give a choking hazard to a smaller child though. I once made a giant pumpkin out of orange balloons and fishing line. I have as many Halloween Lights as Christmas Lights, I would LOVE to work in your building